Chapter 39: Out Again

After receiving a warning from her uncle, when Chen Jin got a call from her aunt saying she wanted to come over to see her small villa, Chen Jin thought of a saying: “No one visits the Three Treasure Hall without reason.”

Previously, when she had invited guests to Hanlin Garden, her aunt had made excuses about being too busy to come. Was she suddenly realizing the importance of maintaining relationships? To be honest, since the demolition six months ago, not only had her relationship with her aunt cooled, but several of her uncles had also become distant.

It was easy to guess that her aunt was coming to talk about the buildings in Qiaoxi Village, so Chen Jin first asked if she had received the gifts Chen Jin had sent.

Her aunt replied, half in dissatisfaction and half jokingly, “You child, really, you bought the gifts and you have a car. Can’t you come visit me? Is it because you see that I don’t have several apartments like your uncles do that you’re not eager to keep in touch? I haven’t seen you in ages.”

These words extinguished the little warmth in Chen Jin’s heart.

It sounded like she used to visit her aunt often. In reality, she might not even visit once a year, but she frequently visited her other uncles. She didn’t need to mention the third uncle’s house since it was nearby. In high school, when she didn’t want to go home on weekends, she would go to the second uncle’s house, and sometimes the second aunt would send her food. After starting university, she visited her eldest uncle’s house more often too, just to have a meal together when she had the time.

But her aunt’s house was the only place she didn’t like to go.

Her aunt often said, “These are all good things; you don’t understand because you don’t live in the city,” which might have been her catchphrase without much malice, but it made Chen Jin uncomfortable, and she didn’t like going to her house. However, her aunt had indeed helped her family before, so she never thought about distancing herself now that she had money.

But her aunt’s words now were truly irritating.

Chen Jin’s smile faded as she replied, “Aunt, you’re overthinking. I participate in all family gatherings. If you weren’t so busy with work, you could come more often. We have plenty of chances to see each other. Besides, I’ve made plans with my third cousin to go out for a few days, and I won’t be in Rong City lately. When I come back, I’ll be busy with graduation matters.”

“But if you miss everyone, why don’t we set a time to gather at your place?”

There was silence on the other end for a while before her aunt said, “Since you’re busy, I’ll just ask you over the phone. About those buildings in Qiaoxi Village, when we talked about building them together, I didn’t have the funds at that time. Now that the loan has come back, I have some money. I feel bad that everyone contributed while I didn’t participate. You can calculate how much it is in total, and I’ll pay my share.”

Chen Jin gave a sarcastic smile. She thought her aunt was just like other families with their complicated relatives.

But if her aunt thought she could manipulate her as a younger generation, she had miscalculated. “Aunt, you should ask Uncle and the second and third uncles, as well as the aunts. The land and the middle building of the five buildings belong to me; the rest are divided among the other elders. Well, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll hang up now.”

After hanging up, Chen Jin took a few deep breaths to calm down and then called her third cousin. “Why don’t we change our plans and head to Hangzhou tomorrow? My aunt wants to talk to me about those buildings in Qiaoxi Village; she wants to get a share now. I’ll be away for a few days.”

Her third cousin clicked his tongue in disdain and then said, “Pack your things, and tomorrow morning, take a taxi to the Rose Garden community entrance. I’ll head out now to change the tickets.”

Her third cousin was reliable!

Chen Jin felt regret that her third cousin wasn’t a third cousin sister; otherwise, they would definitely be good sisters who could talk about anything.

This time they were only going for a few days, and the distance wasn’t too far, so they chose to take the train. Along with them were two friends of her third cousin, who had been persuaded to come along to start a travel agency.

As her third cousin’s “backup fund,” in case her third uncle and third aunt didn’t support him, Chen Jin naturally had to join them to see how they were researching.

In reality, it was just nice to have company; she wanted to go out and have fun.

Otherwise, what was there to do at home? Besides watching TV or going shopping, she was already tired of wandering around Wanmin Square in the West District and the old department store in the Dongcheng District. She also routinely visited the few shops run by Sister Jiang every month.

Lin Xinran asked her if having money and not working would make her bored.

Chen Jin felt very qualified to answer this. She said, “Boredom is impossible. If you feel bored, it means you’re spending money the wrong way; try something different, and you won’t be bored.”

Just like now, she had time and company, so she was going on a trip!

After packing her things, Chen Jin went out to find something to eat, and outside the community, she ran into Yang Qian, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time. The last time they met was during a meeting that Professor Jiang held with them and Chen Lu last semester, and then Yang Qian had gone abroad.

Everyone knows that Yang Qian’s family is wealthy, but they don’t really have a clear concept of how wealthy they are.

“Chen Jin, your family has moved over here now?”

The news that Chen Jin’s family had relocated and that she had bought a small villa outside the school’s west gate was nearly common knowledge in the class. She didn’t come to school often, and it was Qin Xuemei who told her.

Yang Qian curiously glanced into the community, aware of the prices for the houses there. Initially, when her family considered buying a place near the school for her, they first thought of these small villas. However, such villas were rare, and at that time, they didn’t find anyone willing to sell. In the end, she could only buy a unit in a nearby community, and occasionally, she would stay in a place in the city center.

Thinking back to last semester when she asked Chen Jin why she didn’t choose to continue her studies, she had speculated whether it was due to financial reasons that she gave up on further studies. Now she was sure: Chen Jin just didn’t want to continue studying.

But it was precisely because she understood that Chen Jin didn’t want to continue that Yang Qian thought Chen Jin was really capable.

She didn’t like studying; what she showed in front of her classmates and teachers was just a façade of being passionate about learning and her major.

If Chen Jin knew that others said she loved studying and adored the Chinese major, she would really want to clarify that she had no passion for it at all.

Just after Chen Jin greeted her, Yang Qian asked, “How did you find out about the villa you bought? If you have any contacts, could you help me keep an eye out? I also want to buy a small villa.”

“My family found a friend to inquire about it. It was a coincidence; we happened to meet a professor who was selling his house, and we managed to grab it early. However, I really don’t know if anyone else is selling small villas. I’ll ask my neighbors when I go back, and if there’s anything, I’ll contact you.”

“Great! Let’s exchange contact information.” As Yang Qian spoke, she pulled out a small notebook and a pen from her bag, quickly writing down a number before handing it to Chen Jin. Chen Jin gave her her number in return.

It was at this moment that Yang Qian noticed how different Chen Jin looked. No wonder she always felt something was off about her; she thought it was just because she hadn’t seen Chen Jin in so long.

Although there was a sense of unfamiliarity from not seeing each other for more than six months, it was mainly because Chen Jin had changed her style completely, from her hairstyle to her clothes and shoes, though she still bore some resemblance to her old self.

Yang Qian had always loved beauty and felt her eyes brighten. She then asked where Chen Jin had her hair done and where she bought her clothes, and Chen Jin naturally answered all her questions.

“You’d look even better with some lipstick on. You look a bit pale right now,” Yang Qian directly pointed out her flaw.

Chen Jin touched her face, “Oh, I watched TV too late last night. I thought about having dinner later, so I didn’t put on any lipstick.”

Yang Qian disagreed, saying, “You could just take it off before dinner, right? Girls should always look pretty.” After saying that, Yang Qian invited her, “How about we go shopping together someday? I think your current aesthetic really suits me.”

“Sure! Let’s plan it after I get back from my trip.”

“Where are you traveling to?”

“Hangzhou.”

“Ah, Hangzhou is nice. If you have time, you should visit Wuzhen, which isn’t far from Hangzhou. It’s quite comfortable to stroll around there.” Yang Qian became somewhat interested while talking, “Who are you going with? I have some free time lately…”

Chen Jin immediately asked, “Have you finished writing your graduation thesis?”

Yang Qian’s smile faded, and she stopped talking.

“You should finish your thesis before discussing it further. Last time I went to consult about the final draft, Professor Jiang asked me to find you and Chen Lu, but how can I find you both?”

Chen Jin didn’t care if what she had just said upset Yang Qian. They had been classmates for nearly four years, and even if they weren’t close, she should know that in their limited time living together, Chen Jin wasn’t the type to be understanding or friendly.

She definitely didn’t want to travel with Yang Qian; this person looked like trouble.

Yang Qian glared at her with a cold expression and said resentfully, “Oh, then I hope you have fun and let’s plan to go shopping when you get back.”

Chen Jin smiled, and when she saw her boyfriend, Zhuo Ran, coming over with his purchases, she said her goodbyes.

Shopping could be discussed later.

The next morning, as Chen Jin dragged her suitcase out, she happened to run into Shen Baichuan, who was also heading out to work.

“Aren’t you driving? Where are you going? I can give you a ride.”

Chen Jin thought he was dressed in a suit, so he should be heading to class. Even if he could give her a ride part of the way, it would only take her to the south gate of Nanda, so she waved her hand to decline, “No need, I’ll just take a taxi.”

Shen Baichuan directly opened the trunk, “I’m going to Hanlin Garden. Where are you going? If it’s on the way, I can take you.”

It really was on the way. Chen Jin hesitated for a moment, looked at her watch, and then smiled, “Thanks, Teacher Shen. I’m going to the Rose Garden community. It’s on the way to Hanlin Garden.”

“That works. Get in,” Shen Baichuan said as he reached over to take her suitcase and put it in the trunk.

Chen Jin sat in the passenger seat, and while he hadn’t come over yet, she scanned the area around her, feeling once again amazed: you get what you pay for; luxury cars are indeed luxury cars.

She took a closer sniff and caught a faint scent similar to vanilla, then noticed a bottle of perfume on the center console. She wondered if that was the source of the scent in the car.

When Shen Baichuan got in the car and fastened his seatbelt, he glanced at Chen Jin and, seeing she had already fastened hers, quickly turned his gaze away. He was about to reach for the perfume on the center console but suddenly remembered Chen Jin was there, so he withdrew his hand.

Chen Jin noticed his movement and took the initiative to ask, “Your car has a really nice scent. What perfume is it?”

Shen Baichuan handed her the perfume, saying, “Smell it first and see if you like it. If you think you can accept the scent, you can spray a bit towards the back seat.”

Chen Jin avoided his fingers, grabbed the transparent bottle, opened it, waved her hand, and took a serious sniff. Sure enough, it smelled just like in the car. After asking Shen Baichuan how much to spray, she sprayed a little towards the back seat. The car started moving, and after about three minutes, a faint vanilla scent spread throughout the interior.

I really didn’t expect that Teacher Shen was such a romantic person in private. Chen Jin glanced at the label on the perfume bottle, noticing that it looked unfamiliar, as if she hadn’t seen it while shopping. She took a closer look and decided to remember it, planning to check the mall for this perfume when she returned from her trip.

Perhaps it was the scent in the car that made people feel relaxed and pleasant; sitting in a small space with Shen Baichuan didn’t feel awkward at all.

“Where are you going on vacation this time?”

“To Hangzhou. It’s close by and convenient to get to.”

Shen Baichuan nodded. “Speaking of which, I’ve been to Hangzhou a few times since returning to the country, but it was all for work, so I never really got to explore. Next time, I should take the opportunity to wander around.”

Chen Jin responded with a couple of “mm-hmms,” casually bringing up a topic to avoid any awkward silence. “Do you have no classes today, Teacher Shen?”

Although he had mentioned she could call him by his name, Chen Jin felt more comfortable calling him “Teacher Shen.” Shen Baichuan was too lazy to correct her anyway. After all, soon enough, he could call her “Teacher Chen.”

“I was supposed to have classes, but my company had some last-minute issues, so I swapped classes with other teachers.” Noticing she didn’t ask which company it was, Shen Baichuan continued, “I started a company outside, focusing on researching and producing computers. Other than teaching, I usually go to the company.”

“That’s impressive.” Chen Jin genuinely complimented him. Looking at him, he was not only hired by the school to be a teacher but also started his own company and was involved in computer research—he was excelling in everything.

Shen Baichuan took a moment to glance at her, unsure whether her compliment was sincere or merely polite. “I heard from Professor Song that you interned at the Cheng Group last semester. Haven’t you considered staying on for work?”

Chen Jin immediately recalled that her second cousin had mentioned Shen Baichuan might have some relatives in the Cheng family. Since they were relatives, she felt it was inappropriate to say that it was difficult to get a job at the Cheng Group. So she replied, “I prefer the atmosphere in school. Working in a company can be quite stressful, and it’s not really suitable for me.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Shen Baichuan then dropped a bombshell: “The Cheng Group was founded by my grandfather.”

“Ah?” Chen Jin was first shocked to realize that the Cheng Group was indeed Shen Baichuan’s family company. Then she thought of another question: If the Cheng Group was established by his grandfather, why did he have the surname Shen?

She didn’t ponder for long before Shen Baichuan explained, “My parents divorced when they were in Hong Kong, and I took my mother’s surname.”

Chen Jin scratched her head.

Oh! What a coincidence! She was the same way.

Tsk! No wonder they could be neighbors; their life experiences were somewhat similar.

“Haha, what a coincidence! My parents divorced too, and I took my mother’s surname.” After saying this, Chen Jin felt a bit embarrassed. Was this really something to laugh about?

The left corner of Shen Baichuan’s mouth lifted slightly. He had learned from Professor Song that she took her mother’s surname, and he hadn’t thought through his own words before mentioning his situation. Afterward, he was curious about how she would respond to him, perhaps to comfort him?

He didn’t expect her to respond that it was a coincidence too.

“It really is a coincidence,” Shen Baichuan said, a hint of a smile in his voice.

The car arrived at the entrance of the Rose Garden Community. Chen Jin saw her third cousin carrying a camouflage backpack, ready for action. Shen Baichuan got out of the car with her and helped her with her luggage. After saying goodbye, her cousin finally noticed her presence.

He stared at Shen Baichuan’s car until it drove away before reluctantly pulling his gaze back.

With a frown, he walked over to question her about the man who just dropped her off.

“He’s my neighbor. There are two small villas; I took one, and he owns the other. He was just giving me a ride since he was going out.”

“Oh, so it’s your neighbor. I didn’t pay attention to what he looked like earlier; I was just focused on his car.” Chen Yongfei clicked his tongue. When they went to see the villas, he knew that being able to buy a house there meant one was certainly not short on money, but he didn’t expect someone to be so wealthy they could buy a car worth over a million!

Chen Yongfei reminded her, “If he’s pursuing you, you still need to assess him properly. Just having money doesn’t mean he’s a good person; you have to see what kind of character he has.”

Even though this person returned from studying abroad and was a teacher at Nanda, good knowledge doesn’t equate to good character. His third sister didn’t lack either of those.

Chen Jin chuckled, “You’re overthinking it. He wouldn’t be interested in me. You’re worrying for nothing. Wait, why aren’t you telling me not to pursue him easily?”

Chen Yongfei mimicked her tone and chuckled, “I’m not worried about your personal issues; you don’t seem like someone looking for a relationship right now.”

Given that she was currently enjoying life at home, shopping, collecting rent, and traveling, she didn’t appear to be in a rush to find a boyfriend—her entire demeanor screamed: I’m the happiest without a man.

His sister was right; he was overthinking. If someone pursued her, his third sister wouldn’t agree anyway.

When they arrived at the train station, they met up with two of her cousin’s friends.

Her cousin’s two friends, one of whom was named Jiang Weijun and was a bit more robust, while the other, who looked more refined, was called Huang Jie. The three of them had been classmates in middle school and high school and had kept in touch over the years.

After discussing, they found that people from Rong City mostly traveled out of town, with the most popular destination being nearby Hangzhou, known for its reputation as “Heaven on Earth.”

So they chose to go to Hangzhou as their first stop.

They booked hard sleeper tickets. Chen Jin got on the train and listened to the three of them discuss for a while. She began to suspect that they weren’t really planning to start a travel agency but were just three idle people looking for an excuse to go out and have fun.

However, Chen Jin didn’t mind them; she sat by the window in the aisle and watched the scenery.

This was her first time riding a train in her life.

It can be said that if it weren’t for the money from the demolition, she wouldn’t know when she would ever leave Rong City. She had lived in Rong City her whole life, and even in college, she hadn’t chosen a school in another province. The farthest she had traveled was from Qiao Dong Village to Nanda, which took at least three or four hours when including the time spent waiting and transferring on the bus.

When taking a plane, there aren’t as many emotions; perhaps it’s because the train is slow enough for her to slowly take in the scenery along the way. There’s also plenty of time for her to reflect.

Jiang Weijun glanced at Chen Jin, who was quietly resting her chin on her hand while looking out the window, then nudged Chen Yongfei and said softly, “Your sister is so refined. You can tell she’s a good student.”

Chen Yongfei looked at Chen Jin with an expression of mixed emotions and chuckled softly.

That was certainly true on the surface; his younger sister had a gentle and refined appearance that made her quite likable, and her academic performance was indeed that of a good student.

As long as no one bothered her, she would always be like this.

Upon arriving in Hangzhou, Chen Jin decided not to worry about anything. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be involved; it was just that her cousin and his two friends had already made plans, researched extensively, and even consulted a travel agency, ultimately deciding on the itinerary.

The first day out was filled with walking, and Chen Jin began to doubt her life choices.

The three men kept turning around in circles while looking at the map, and even after asking locals for directions, they still got lost. Chen Jin couldn’t help but feel impressed.

However, Chen Jin had a temperament that accepted things as they came. When they got tired from walking, she would suggest they take a break, and whenever they saw something beautiful, she insisted they stop to take pictures.

Walking along the White Causeway, admiring the scenery of West Lake, they reached Prince Bay Park, where they saw many newlyweds taking wedding photos. It was a different cityscape compared to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.

On the third day, they went to Lingyin Temple. Upon learning that their plans had all fallen apart and that the three of them had given up on sticking to the itinerary, Chen Jin expressed a desire to visit Lingyin Temple once more.

Chen Yongfei asked, “Didn’t you take enough pictures today?”

“Right! I need to go buy film tomorrow morning.” Chen Jin had used up all the film she had brought at Lingyin Temple, and although she hadn’t completed the entire route, she felt that the best views were still ahead. If she didn’t capture them, they would linger in her thoughts.

She couldn’t quite explain why, but she felt that the flowers, trees, and walls at Lingyin Temple were reminiscent of something she had seen in a dream.

However, when she returned the next day, Chen Jin didn’t have that sense of “like returning to an old place.” Everything seemed ordinary, and her enthusiasm waned; she left even earlier than the day before.

To thank her cousin’s friends for indulging her in wasting a day of their itinerary, she treated them to dinner that evening. She specifically consulted locals and went to a well-known restaurant.

The four of them had the same idea, choosing the “signature dishes” from the menu. It was a rare outing, so they had to sample the local specialties.

After tasting the restaurant’s top-rated dish, “West Lake Vinegar Fish,” Chen Jin couldn’t hold back her reaction and abruptly turned away.

Her cousin and his two friends mocked her, saying, “The mountain pig can’t eat fine food,” and then they all turned away in unison.

When Chen Jin returned, dragging her fully loaded suitcase, she had developed four copies of the photos. While bringing gifts to her third uncle’s house, her third aunt flipped through the photos one by one and wondered aloud, “Why did you take a picture of just a fish?”

Chen Jin and her cousin exchanged glances, both recognizing the shared horror of the “West Lake Vinegar Fish.” Yet, they both sincerely replied, “This is a famous dish in Hangzhou. If you ever travel here, you must try it; the taste is unforgettable.”

Her third uncle and third aunt believed them, thinking it was a delicious dish.

Just two days after returning, her cousin and his two friends were planning a trip to Wuyishan and specifically asked Chen Jin if she wanted to join them.

Jiang Weijun and Huang Jie had come to know Chen Jin quite differently during their trip to Hangzhou. They found Chen Yongfei’s sister to have a pleasant personality, a bit humorous, and she wasn’t fussy while traveling, which led them to consider inviting her along.

However, when Chen Jin heard they were going mountain climbing, she recalled the miserable experience from her last climb with her cousin at the national forest park in Rong City, and she quickly refused.

Moreover, it was already mid to late May, and with her thesis defense coming up next month and graduation photos to take, she decided not to wander around during this time.

Taking advantage of her free time at home, Chen Jin organized the developed photos. She had so many pictures that she needed to choose some nice ones to frame and display, while the rest would go into an album. Otherwise, if the photos got damaged, it would be unfortunate.

After going out to buy over twenty picture frames and two photo albums, Chen Jin framed her solo pictures and placed them around the house.

On her bedside table, there was still only her photo with her mother.

“Xiao Jin? Xiao Jin? Open the door!”

Chen Jin hurried downstairs to open the yard door. “Good afternoon, Professor Song! Did you bring me more delicious food? Wow, is this green bean cake made by Aunt He? I finally get to eat it again!”

Professor Song smiled and let her take the food, following her inside. Upon seeing the tea table and sofa covered with photos, he became interested and sat down to flip through them one by one.

“Your tourist photos are really well taken. Did you hire someone to take them or did family members take them?”

Chen Jin replied proudly, “I set everything up and had my family use the camera. Look at this one against the red walls of the Forbidden City; didn’t I choose a great background? If only it had snowed; I’ve never seen snow in my life.”

“If you didn’t see it this year, you can always go again next year. You’re still young; there will be many beautiful sights for you to see in the future.”

Professor Song held onto a photo taken from the top of Victoria Peak for a long time, saying wistfully, “If we hold on, we can still see Hong Kong and Macau. I don’t know when the date for the return to the other side will be set, nor do I know if I’ll see that day in my lifetime.”

“You will,” Chen Jin said, rummaging through the photos until she found one taken in Shenzhen. “Look at this fishing village from back then; it’s completely transformed now.”

The country is getting better and stronger day by day, and the return of the other side is only a matter of time.

Professor Song spent the entire afternoon with her organizing the photos, and when it was time to leave, he walked out smiling, holding over ten scenic photos from various places.

When I got home, I saw Shen Baichuan in the living room. He mentioned that he hadn’t been home lately and asked him to bring back a portion of the mung bean cake that Aunt He made when he goes back later.

I handed the photos in my hand to Dean Xi. “These are pictures taken by Xiao Jin while playing outside. Looking at these photos makes me want to go out and explore too.”

Dean Xi glanced at her and could tell she was definitely thinking about going on a trip. Looking down at the photos in his hand, he exclaimed, “Wow, they were taken really well. Shenzhen… Shenzhen has changed so much now.”

Shen Baichuan caught a glimpse of one of the photos, as if he saw a different side of Hong Kong.

After Chen Jin returned from Hangzhou, she didn’t receive another call from her aunt, so she pushed aside what she had mentioned last time.

She drove to the Splendid Community.

Ever since the house in Qiaoxi Village was renovated, her uncle had arranged for someone to immediately go to the Splendid Community for renovations. Just their families combined had about twenty or thirty houses, which was enough to keep this renovation team busy for a while.

Unlike Qiaoxi Village, there wasn’t anyone like Cousin Meng Chong specifically responsible for supervising here, so everyone had to take turns checking the situation. Now that Chen Jin had some free time, she came over to keep an eye on things.

This renovation team was experienced and worked quickly.

Every floor here was almost under construction, with people from Qiaodong Village and Mutang Village. She came over every other day for a week and ran into quite a few familiar faces.

Her former aunt’s husband, Zhang Leye, also came over once. Their allocated resettlement house was in the same building as hers. He brought along the woman he had met last time, and they were discussing how to renovate their house.

The Zhang family received six resettlement houses, and no matter what, one of them would be allocated to the second family. Chen Jin stood at the entrance of her house on the third floor and heard the two on the stairs discussing how to get Old man Zhang to transfer the house that should belong to the second family to Zhang Leye.

“You can’t just have everything in Zhang Bai’s name. What if he decides he doesn’t want to support you in the future? What will you do then? Just look at it now—Zhang Bai and Zhang Xue dare to show you attitude when they see you, their own father…”

These were all divisive words. Chen Jin didn’t need to listen much to know the woman’s intentions. She scoffed softly; indeed, only a bad person could handle another bad person. Let this woman, Zhang Leye, and Zhang Leye’s two children stir things up.

Displeased with their dirty schemes, Chen Jin circled around the house on the third floor, saw there were no problems, and then went downstairs.

“Hey, Chen Jin! Third sister!”

Chen Jin saw Chen Wensong and, hearing him call her, forcibly held back and pretended not to hear, quickening her pace toward her car. It was rare for Chen Wensong to call out to her; although she didn’t know what it was about, she trusted her instincts that he definitely had no good intentions in mind.

Whether it was because he needed money for his land or wanted to discuss things about Aunt Kexin and Chen Yue, could it be that he knew she was in contact with Aunt Kexin and wanted her to act as an intermediary to relay messages?

That was definitely out of the question! Better run away!